The mechanical drive and support system used by various types of rotary equipment including kilns, calciners, dryers, grinding mills, ball mills, and dissolvers has not changed significantly in practice since the original systems were developed in the 19th century. Traditionally, rotary equipment has been comprised of heavy, expensive and long delivery time one-piece tyres (or riding rings), supporting trunnions (or rollers), and pinion and bull (girth) gear drive systems. The tyres consist of a solid, continuous smooth steel casting circumventing and operably coupled to the heavy, reinforced thick section of the shell of the equipment. Each tyre is placed and rotates on a pair of rollers, rigidly mounted on a solid foundation, which support the rotary equipment and allow it to rotate smoothly but which require rigorous alignment and frequent maintenance attention.
Traditionally, rotary equipment is turned by a pinion drive gear meshing with a girth gear surrounding the shell of the kiln or rotary equipment. The pinion drive gear is often connected through a gearbox to an electric motor. The drive system likewise is rigidly mounted on a solid foundation and requires rigorous alignment with the girth gear and frequent maintenance attention.
The exigencies of the mechanics of rotary equipment, including rigidity, large size and weight, and exactness of alignment tolerances of the tyres, trunnions, and drive gears, have necessitated the rotary equipment run at relatively low and constant speeds, thus restricting opportunities for improvement in rotary equipment process flexibility, efficiency, quality control, and capacity. The same exigencies have been limiting and governing factors preventing change of the slope of the rotary equipment, which also could improve rotary equipment process flexibility, efficiency, quality control, and capacity in many circumstances.
The foregoing examples of related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the inventions described herein. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings.